The Admiral's Daughter
by horselovr171
Summary: AU Fem!Jim. A different life, raised by a her father's best friend under a different name, Jim turns out a lot differently. Flames will be ignored. T to be on the safe side.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: To all who follow my other story, Darkest, I will apologize and say I have writer's block. I've been working on this story when I have ideas and for any other scenarios you might want to see, PM me and I'll consider it.**

**I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter One**

Christopher Pike felt the world drop out from under him when he heard the news. He collapsed into a nearby chair as his eyes welled with tears. George had been his best friend, his brother. To think that he was gone broke his heart. The only bright spot came when he learned Winona had given birth. It made Chris sad, though, when he was told George died believing his daughter, who he had wanted so badly, was his son. Winona's decision to leave the baby's name as James Tiberius Kirk left him confused.

Chris was waiting at the landing pad when Winona's shuttle landed. San was with his paternal aunt and Chris had been informed by a Starfleet lawyer to prepare to care for an infant. The reason why became abundantly clear as the shuttle door opened. Winona was unloaded strapped to a biobed, crying and raving hysterically. A nurse followed a few feet behind, carrying a bundled white blanket with the Starfleet insignia embroidered onto a corner.

Chris' attention immediately focused on the child, eager to get his first look at his goddaughter. The nurse smiled as she passed the baby to him. Looking down, Chris lost his heart. She was small, probably from being premature, and her head was covered by a tuft of blonde hair. The baby's blue eyes, so blue they matched Earth's sky, were focused on him. Despite his grief for George, Chris couldn't stop himself from smiling at the little girl who already seemed to be so much like her father.

The trip back to his apartment was quick, the landing pad was located in the center of Starfleet grounds and there was limited traffic. Stepping into his apartment, Chris looked around at all of the baby paraphernalia he had bought to care for the infant in his arms. The apartment had only one bedroom and it wasn't large, but would serve the purpose until the course of actions was decided. He wasn't sure what was going on with Winona, but he hoped that if worst came to worst, he'd be able to keep James. Sam would remain with his aunt and her family should that happen.

George's will had stated that should anything happen to him and Winona, the godparents to his children would share custody of them. Unfortunately, Chris was the only one still alive. Sam's godfather and both of the children's godmothers had been killed on the Kelvin. It was only if the godparents were unable to care for the children that they went to their closest relatives. Chris was already aware that, if push came to shove, Sam would choose to remain with his relatives. The two had never met, as Sam had been born while Chris was assigned to a ship and he had never had an opportunity to be introduced.

Chris was drawn from his thoughts when the baby began to squirm and whimper in his arms. A quick diaper check told him she didn't a change so he hitched the bag higher on his shoulder and moved into the kitchen to prepare a bottle for her. As he fed the baby, Chris paced back and forth slowly, rocking slightly. Smiling, he watched as she focused completely on him. "Jamie," he said, "I'm going to call you Jamie, not James." Jamie seemed to smile back at him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: To all who follow my other story, Darkest, I will apologize and say I have writer's block. I've been working on this story when I have ideas and for any other scenarios you might want to see, PM me and I'll consider it.**

**I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter Two**

The last two months had been the best and worst of Chris' life. The worst stemmed from burying George and executing his estate. The best had been caring for and raising the beautiful little bundle he'd left behind. Jamie had grown since she had first come to him, her hair growing out to cover her head and her body getting bigger and heavier every day. She had become the light of Chris' life, the center of his universe, within hours of meeting each other and she had him wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

Winona had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment upon arriving back on Earth and she was now attempting to regain custody of her two children. Chris had visited her a couple of times in the hospital and he wasn't so sure she was ready for it. She and George had almost been one person, so Chris knew she would never fully recover. These thoughts ran through his head as he readied Jamie to spend a night with her mother and older brother. Winona would be staying in a room with hidden cameras, although she wouldn't be informed of that fact.

Chris had a bad feeling about the whole idea, but wasn't really in a position to protest. Just in case, he had adoption papers drawn up the first week he had Jamie and he was just waiting for the right opportunity to submit them. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Chris made funny faces at the baby, drawing smiles and high-pitched giggles from her. Cuddling Jamie to his chest, Chris could only hope and pray that he wouldn't lose his little girl.

Apprehension was Chris' constant companion after he dropped Jamie off with the social worker who would take her to Winona. It had been decided that Winona wouldn't be told who had been caring for her daughter, as she hadn't noticed Chris at the landing pad that day. Chris had dropped Jamie off midafternoon and found his concentration shot for the rest of the day. He had gone to bed early but had ended up tossing and turning, too worried to fall asleep.

He was still awake when his comm beeped. Chris was quick to answer and was blasted by screams that could only be from Jamie. A voice on the other end asked, "Is this Christopher Pike?" After he answered in the affirmative, the voice continued, "This is Mark Brown with social services. We'd appreciate it if you'd come and pick up James Kirk. I'll explain the situation further when you get here." Shooting up from bed and already moving to get his clothes, Chris replied, "I'll be there in 30 minutes. Try waving her stuffed horse in front of her, it might calm her down."

He dressed in record time and gathered a small bag with a few of Jamie's things just in case. He grabbed the PADD with the adoption petition on the way out, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to try to keep his baby girl. It was the middle of the night so traffic was virtually nonexistent. Arriving at the correct building, Chris parked quickly and sprinted upstairs to the right room, hearing Jamie crying down the hallway.

Chris realized it was rude to just burst into the room, but he couldn't bring himself to care as he focused on his baby. His entrance had gained her attention and she immediately reached out to him. Chris dropped the bag he was carrying and reached out to take her from the woman holding her. The second Jamie was secure in his arms, she stopped screaming, instead hiccupping and clinging to his shirt.

Ignoring the other two people in the room, Chris focused on Jamie exclusively. He began to rock her, singing to her and wiping her cheeks. Jamie was quick to fall asleep after that and Chris then turned his attention to the two social workers. The man stepped forward and said, "Hi, I'm Mark Brown, thanks for coming so quickly. This is Jenna Marks. I apologize for alarming you, but we were getting worried she might hurt herself if she didn't stop crying." Chris adjusted his grip on Jamie as he sat and asked, "What happened?"

"James was fine when you dropped her off. She didn't cry for the social worker you gave her to, but she let loose when she was handed to Winona. As agreed, Winona wasn't aware of the hidden cameras in the room she was staying in. She tried for a few hours to calm James, but gave up around 9 o'clock. At that point, she retrieved an unidentified hypospray from her bag and attempted to administer it to James." At that point, Chris' grip tightened on Jamie and his face paled, his expression becoming anxious. Extending his hands in a placating gesture, Brown continued, "She was unsuccessful. James was flailing and knocked the hypospray from Winona's grip where it broke. Security officers entered the room at that time, taking her into custody. We were only cleared to call you shortly before we did. Sam Kirk has been returned to his aunt, he was hiding while Winona focused on James."

Chris' grip relaxed but he buried his face for a moment in Jamie's hair. Once Chris had regained his composure, he immediately reached down and retrieved the PADD with the adoption papers on it. The two social workers were silent as they studied the application. When they turned to discuss it between themselves, Chris refocused on Jamie. Her little face was still flushed and there were tear marks on her cheeks, but her expression was peaceful. He still couldn't believe his sweet, quiet baby had thrown an uninterrupted screaming fit for hours.

The female social worker leaving the room recaptured his attention and Chris returned his attention to Brown. At Chris' questioning gaze, Brown explained, "She's going to find one of the family court judges who stayed late. With any luck, we can have these papers approved and filed within the hour. What are you going to change her name to be?" Before Chris could reply, Marks returned accompanied by a judge. The next hour passed quickly as all the proper forms were filled out, approved, and filed. When the question was asked again, Chris looked down at the center of his universe and said, "Jamie Christina Kirk Pike."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: To all who follow my other story, Darkest, I will apologize and say I have writer's block. I've been working on this story when I have ideas and for any other scenarios you might want to see, PM me and I'll consider it.**

**I'm sorry for the delay, but I had papers, projects, and finals to complete.**

**I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter Three**

Chris smiled at the little girl in his arms, a place she resided more often than not. Ever since he had gotten custody of Jamie, even when it had been supposedly temporary, Chris had asked anyone with children for advice. He'd been told that a baby identified its primary caregiver during the first six months, so he would have to provide most of Jamie's care during that time. He'd also been told that babies like to be held, so he was doing a lot of that.

A month previously, when Chris had adopted Jamie, he had been taken off of leave and had applied for a teaching position at the Academy. Currently, Chris had been teaching tactical classes at the Academy, as the semester had only started two weeks before. The Admiralty was doing everything they could to keep him happy, mostly to keep in his favor because he was raising the "Kelvin Baby".

The story of George's death and Jamie's birth had been blasted through the papers for weeks and were only now starting to die down. Winona's condition and Jamie's adoption had been placed under the highest security clearance, so nobody who knew could talk about it. Fortunately, the concessions benefited everyone involved. One of those concessions allowed Chris to bring Jamie into the classroom with him. The baby had proceeded to charm all of the female cadets and a number of the males.

It amused Chris to no end to see how his male cadets reacted to his baby girl. 40% were comfortable around babies and even asked to hold Jamie. He had yet to let anyone besides a nurse hold her, as she tended to start whimpering. Another 10% thought she was cute but were unsure how to touch her so contented themselves with cooing and smiling at her. The remaining half were clearly uncomfortable around her and tended to treat her like she was an armed explosive. The first time Jamie had cried in class most of them had panicked, under the impression that something was seriously wrong.

Currently, Chris was sitting and waiting to be called into a meeting with the Admiralty. Over the past month, Admirals Archer and Barnett had been his contact to his superiors. The two men had grown fond of the baby and Archer's dogs, Athos and Aramis, absolutely adored her. When Chris had asked them what this meeting was about, the two men had simply smiled at him and said it wasn't anything to be worried about.

Finally, the secretary approached him and said, "The Admirals will see you now. Would you like me to hold your daughter?" Standing, Chris grabbed the diaper bag and replied, "It's alright. She's quiet unless someone else holds her. She'll be fine with me." The secretary gave an understanding smile, the story of Jamie's squirming fits when anyone she didn't know held her were legendary. She fussed and squirmed for nurses even if Chris was nearby and the one time a student had picked her up without Chris' permission, Jamie had actually screamed bloody murder and caused slight hearing damage to a few people nearby she screamed so loudly.

At the moment, only five people could hold Jamie without her pitching a fit. Chris was the person she liked best and she rarely if ever cried for him. Admiral Archer was another safe person, he tended to make a lot of faces to make her laugh. Admiral Barnett was a source of fascination for her. He was quiet but the timbre of his voice soothed her and kept her attention. Archer had introduced Chris to Dr. Phlox the day after Jamie's adoption even though Phlox was not a pediatrician. Phlox's jovial personality had kept Jamie happy and secured him a place in Jamie's good books.

T'Pol had been a surprise for everyone. She had been present when Chris and Phlox were introduced and, initially, her appearance had captured Jamie's attention. That had quickly changed as Jamie interacted with the Vulcan woman. T'Pol had told them that Jamie was not psi-null and that they both initiated a surface meld when T'Pol held Jamie. Chris had privately wondered if that was one of the reasons Jamie had thrown a squirming fit when she had been given to Winona. She'd have been able to feel Winona's emotions and her surface thoughts.

Entering the meeting room, Chris was slightly surprised to see Commander, Starfleet sitting there with Admirals Archer, Barnett, and Komack. Komack didn't like Chris, he thought Chris was skating by using Jamie. Sitting in the chair before them, Chris answered the questions asked about his past missions, his classes, and Jamie. Komack was as confrontational as always, but the other three Admirals kept him on a short leash. Admiral Mary Johnston, Commander Starfleet, actually asked to hold Jamie and surprised everyone when the baby didn't start squirming. Those aware of Jamie's telepathic talent wondered what the infant was picking up.

The end of the meeting was a complete surprise to Chris. Admiral Johnson had handed back Jamie and congratulated him on his promotion to lieutenant. He had sat there with wide eyes for a few moments, amusing John and Richard, before he managed to thank her. The news didn't sink in until he'd been home for a few hours. When it did, Chris gently spun in a circle with Jamie, making her squeal happily, before he began looking for a bigger apartment. He was saving a fairly large portion of his salary and Jamie's support money for her education and in case something happened to him. With the raise from his promotion, he could continue to save and still afford to move to a bigger and safer apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: To all who follow my other story, Darkest, I will apologize and say I have writer's block. I've been working on this story when I have ideas and for any other scenarios you might want to see, PM me and I'll consider it.**

**School is brutal. I apologize to everyone, I got so caught up in homework and studying, I neglected to post. Here's an early Christmas present to everyone.**

**I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter Four**

Once again, Chris was woken out of a sound sleep by soft whimpers. Despite being tired, he couldn't help but smile as he shuffled out of bed. Jamie was a quiet baby and rarely cried even if she was hungry or needed a diaper change. Her fit with Winona had been the only one to date, although she was fussy with some of the nurses at Starfleet Medical. Knowing of his daughter's telepathic talent now thanks to T'Pol, he couldn't say he was surprised.

For some reason, women seemed to find him more attractive now that he was a father. He was an attractive man to begin with, so there had always been some interest but Jamie's presence seemed to increase that exponentially. Chris wasn't surprised at her discomfort with some of the nurses because those particular nurses were always more interested in flirting with him than checking over his daughter. Dr. Phlox, after noticing the pattern, had included a list of nurses who weren't allowed to interact with them in Jamie's file.

Standing over Jamie's crib, he took a moment to look down at his precious daughter. Once she had seen him standing above her, she had stopped whimpering and instead wiggled and waved her arms at him. Chris' smile grew as he reached down and lifted her up, checking her diaper as he did so. Noting she needed a change, Chris stopped first at the changing table and entertained Jamie by making faces at her while he changed her diaper. Cradling her protectively in his arms, Chris stepped through his apartment into his kitchen to heat up a bottle.

In short order, Chris had returned to the rocking chair in his room and was feeding Jamie. The baby liked to watch him while she ate and tonight was no exception. Jamie was taking the preparation to move from the apartment to a new one very well, which was apparently a miracle in children as young as she was. John Archer and Richard Barnett had been extremely helpful in finding a good apartment that he could afford. Barnett had also looked into benefits that should have come to Jamie from George and found money that was due her and transferred it to Chris.

The extra money had allowed Chris to get an apartment in the complex where most of the highest ranking Starfleet officers lived, including Archer and Barnett. Chris' new apartment was actually in the same building as the two admirals' apartments, something Chris suspected was on purpose. He and his friends had spent the last two days packing up his personal items and he and Jamie would be moving to the new apartment tomorrow.

Looking into Jamie's eyes again, Chris smiled as she remained focused on his face even as she ate. People who didn't know either of them very well commented that Jamie had him wrapped around her little fingers. While that was certainly true, Jamie showed all the signs of being just as devoted to him as she grew. Her eyes began to droop as she finished her bottle and Chris set it aside to wind her, cuddling her again after she burped.

Her drooping eyes focused on him again as he stood and walked to her crib. Smiling, Chris lowered Jamie back down and stroked her head as he began to sing a lullaby. Jamie remained focused on him even as she succumbed to sleep, causing Chris' smile to widen. Chris remained by her crib for a little longer before a yawn escaped him, reminding him of the time. Settling back into bed, Chris was content with his life and fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: To all who follow my other story, Darkest, I will apologize and say I have writer's block. I've been working on this story when I have ideas and for any other scenarios you might want to see, PM me and I'll consider it.**

**Back in school, which is still kicking my butt. Apologies to those who read my other stories, I've got writer's block. This is the last chapter I have pre-written for this story, but I'm going to be trying to write over spring break.**

**I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter Five**

Chris smiled down at Jamie and marveled, once again at how easily he could make his baby girl laugh. Her first few months of life, all Jamie had been able to do was gurgle. Recently, her gurgles had evolved to recognizable giggles and the baby took great delight in laughing as often as she could. Around those she loved, Jamie laughed loud and frequently, often making them laugh as well. In the presence of strangers, Jamie rarely laughed, too uncertain of them and their thoughts and emotions.

Chris was the biggest recipient of her laughter. Jamie always seemed to find something to laugh about when it was just the two of them. Her laughter had also become his alarm clock. Chris was a morning person, which annoyed a number of his friends, colleagues, and students, but Jamie seemed to have him beat in that area. He normally woke up at 0600 to get them both ready for the day and had stopped using his alarm clock three weeks ago. He suspected that Jamie woke up around 0530 and let him sleep that extra half hour.

Chris had stopped using his alarm clock for two reasons. The first was that Jamie didn't like the sound and tended to fuss. The second was that her laughter usually woke him up a few minutes before the alarm went off. His friends hadn't believed him until Archer had to spend the night one time. The Admiral had been too tired to leave after joining them for dinner and ended up spending the night on the couch. He had been woken the next morning by Jamie's laughter and the sound of Chris rising for the day.

After Archer confirmed it, everyone else, save T'Pol, had begun angling for a way to spend the night and see for themselves. Chris had laughingly been fending them off since. That was something else Chris had noticed. Before Jamie's entrance in to their lives, they had laughed but never as long or loud as they had been recently. The baby had brought new light to their lives, making everyday seem a little brighter than before.

Today, Chris was primarily working in his office, tweaking lesson plans and grading assignments. Jamie was eight and a half months old and already getting the hang of crawling. She was so mobile Chris usually kept his door closed and had posted a sign outside that read, "Baby on the loose. Please be careful opening the door." Some of the other officers had ignored the sign when it was first posted and ended up tripping over Jamie.

Fortunately, Jamie had only been a little bruised, but she had cried and, combined with Chris' frantic actions and rush to get her to medical, word had quickly spread to be careful when entering Chris' office. Giggling pulled Chris' attention from his work and he looked down. A smile stole across his lips as he saw that Jamie had managed to get her hands on his cover. It was clean as she rarely drooled and she had decided to put it on her head, most likely imitating him.

The hat was way too big for her and, though she kept adjusting it, it kept slipping around her head. Picking up his holorecorder, Chris began recording Jamie's antics, laughing along with her. Shy in public, Jamie loved being the center of her father's attention and gladly let herself be recorded. Chris had dozens of holorecordings and holopics spanning the last eight months, capturing not just the milestones but also little everyday things that brought them both joy.

This was not the first instance where Jamie attempted to imitate him. Chris was developing certain traits for when he eventually became captain and Jamie had been imitating him when he practiced. He, along with John and Richard, swore that she'd enter Starfleet Academy when she was old enough and choose the Command Track. Chris had a feeling that she would actually enter than the normal Cadet, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

Now, Chris just enjoyed watching his baby girl laugh and play. She was usually well-mannered but she had her moments of innocent mischief. Grinning at Jamie, Chris thought of the veritable library of home videos he'd have by the time his baby girl was an adult. Relaxing further, Chris contented himself with enjoying time spent with his daughter, glad that his work ethic currently had him ahead of his paperwork and able to take a break like this.


End file.
